Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Chihuly at The Atlanta Botanical Garden

Last week I put my youngest daughter on a plane in Atlanta bound for Korea - well, I didn't really put her on the plane but you get my gist - where she is moving for the next year. And while I am proud of her, and excited for her, to say I am a bit worried would be a great understatement. To make matters worse, her visa process was a bit hairy. And Hurricane Matthew was barreling towards the southeastern US and expected to make landfall around the time of her flight. So since she had a 6am flight, and the roads and hotels would be filled with evacuees, we decided to drive to Atlanta a day early and spend the night. And lo and behold, there was a Chihuly exhibit at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens that was finishing up it's stay. We really needed to go see it then, didn't we?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dale Chihuly and his artwork, he is a glass sculptor. Or should I say "the glass sculptor". According to the Chihuly website, he studied at the University of Wisconsin and then started the glass program at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he then taught for several years. He then went on to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice where he learned the team approach to blowing glass. Which he still uses today. In 1971 he founded the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State where he has developed glass as a fine art. His works of art have been included in more than 200 museums worldwide. And the Atlanta Botanical Garden hasn't had a Chihuly exhibit since 2004. And a Botanical Garden seems to be the perfect place to exhibit his works.

I had only seen one Chihuly, as they are called, in person and that was a chandelier in an art museum. So it was a real treat to visit the gardens and see them in all their glory on a warm and sunny fall day in Atlanta. The sun shining on them made it extra special. And I developed some personal favorites right away while strolling the grounds.

And if you would like, you can pay the entrance fee again and see the gardens lit up at night. We didn't as we had to get up at 3am to go to the airport but I am sure it is a sight to see.

The exhibit closes on October 31st so if you would like to see it you still have time. Not much, but some. Or you can always visit the permanent Chihuly Garden and Glass museum in Seattle next to the Seattle Space Needle. It's on my list for my next visit to the Pacific Northwest. But until then I'm happy I made it to Atlanta. And my daughter made it safely to Korea. A mom is always gonna worry.

Keeping all those who got walloped by Hurricane Matthew in my thoughts and prayers - from the beaches of Florida, to the coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia and the river towns of North Carolina.

16 comments:

I've heard of this guy before but this display is amazing. It would have been a lot of work to set up the glassworks in the garden. I would love to visit this exhibit and yes I can imagine the night time one would be amazing.

I saw some photos from the nightime, with the city skyline in the background, and it was beautiful. And I think getting the exhibit to the site is beyond challenging - lots of extra parts, just in case. Thanks for visiting The Unpaved Road, Jan!

Wow what an impressive exhibit! I am adding the museum in Seattle to my list and I would love to see this one at night. You are right a botanical garden is the perfect place to display Chihully's work. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard

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About Me

Welcome! I'm Jill - I'm a budget traveler, have been to all 50 United States, have never met a mac-n-cheese or a beach I didn't like - even in the rain. I'm married to my college sweetheart and we have 3 grown travel- loving kids. Come along with me on my travels through The Unpaved Road - my travel diary!